Creating a Positive Home Environment For a Relative With Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s is one of the most difficult disease to watch someone go through, and yet it is all too prevalent. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the truth is that one in three seniors pass away with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

Although many families find that the demands of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s is too difficult to handle without help, about 90% of seniors want to remain in their homes in their old age. That’s where in home care comes into the picture.

Many local in home care services specifically specialize in senior home care, and specifically, in home Alzheimer’s care. This extra help can be the deciding factor for many families to keep their loved ones in their own home instead of placing them in a facility. But that doesn’t mean adjustments shouldn’t be made at home for the benefit of the patient, the caregivers, and the family.

In fact, even minor changes to the home environment can have a huge impact on the quality of life of Alzheimer’s patients. Take a look at this list of suggestions for making your home a positive environment for your loved ones with Alzheimer’s:

• Limit Necessary Choices: A person might panic if choices become too much, so try laying out an outfit, or only offering a couple of choices of shirts and pants. The same goes for activities, food, and other decisions that have to be made.
• Make a Safe Environment: It may seem silly, but it is important to take every safety precaution, including installing child locks on cabinets, covering electrical outlets, hiding away sharp objects, and tucking away clutter to prevent accidents and falls.
  Make all emergency numbers and contact information for Alzheimer’s care readily available, by printing out a list and posting it on the refrigerator.
• Avoid Unnecessary Changes: This might seem contradictory in an article about how to change a home for someone with Alzheimer’s, but it’s really not. While you will have to make changes to the home environment, including the ones described above, you should keep everything else as similar as possible. For someone struggling with dementia, it’s easy to become confused. Even minor changes to their home, like moving furniture or throwing away decorations, could lead to anxiety and confusion.

By creating a warm, safe, and welcoming environment, you can help your loved one with Alzheimer’s retain some autonomy and get some rest, whether they live at home with you, in a senior home care facility, or with a caretaker in their own home. Alzheimer’s may be the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., but that number does not need to rise because of unsafe home conditions.